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Bob
Ray
One
of the first true Austin film events I was allowed to witness,
after moving here last summer, was the premier of Bob Ray's
"Rock
Opera" at the Alamo Draft House. I still have my ticket
stub. Bob's film amazed me with it's rambunctious counter
culture spirit and it middle finger salute to the norm.
And then there was the music. I was new to Austin. I had never
heard of Honky, The Titzs or Witchbanger. I'd only been to
the Alamo Draft House a couple times. I hadn't even been out
on the town to see much live music yet. Bob Ray, in many ways,
changed my life.
Since that day, I've seen Bob quite a bit here and there,
at clubs, in Park City (where he showed "Rock Opera" as a
part of the No Dance Film Festival), at the CD release party
for the soundtrack at Red Eye Fly, at the Paramount Theater.
Almost always he is hanging with his lead, Jerry Don Clarke,
the amazing actor who makes "Rock Opera" work smoke like a...
well, you get the picture. Thanks to Bob, I've been able to
see several of the best fucking Austin bands around play live,
including Voltage, The Fuckemos, and The Pocket FishRmen.
I finally got a chance to talk to Bob and ask him all those
questions that had been plaguing my sub conscience since I
saw his awesome film. Over the loud music and the smoky haze,
I could just about make out his answers...
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| 1.
What was your childhood in Austin like? |
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I grew
up in South Austin and liked it just fine. I was the MVP of
the esteemed South Austin Kickball League seven years straight
and the three time dodgeball champion in my early days.
There
were haunted woods right behind my house where me and my pals
would sneak off to raise heck, as it was called then. We now
refer to it as hell, because we’re all grown up.
Unlike
the carefree days of elementary school, where we would devote
hours on end to kickball, dodgeball, and climbing those ropes
in gym class, high school sucked ass. Each day started and
finished with an hour-long bus ride, thanks to the fine bussing
program Austin had going back then. We also had the jump start
program. Just leave campus and let the jumping start. On the
scholastic side, this place was a gold mine for daydreaming.
Anyway,
during my senior year, I lied about my address and transferred
to one of the dozen or so schools that were closer to home.
And that’s when all the fun started. The salad days were filled
with gang fights,
race
riots, pipe bombings, cops making arrests or other miscellaneous
what not. It freakin ruled.
I think
I went to college some time after that, but it’s still hazy.
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| 2.
You spent a lot of time playing in bands in the early 90's.
But you also did a lot of other stuff at this time, like write
columns, organize festivals, host radio shows. What made you
want to be involved so deeply in "community" efforts of this
nature? |
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All
my pals and me would scheme all kinds of goofball ideas. Some
would happen and some would fall through the cracks. I just
tried to make more of them happen. Shit talking is fun and
all, but actually accomplishing something on top of that is
much more satisfying. When we would set our mind(s) to some
ridiculous idea like Klip-Shrine, we’d dive right in and fuck
shit up.
It’s
also a good excuse to keep on doing fun stuff with all my
pals. A lot of my friends are musicians, artists, writers,
potheads and the like, indeed some creative ass motherfuckers.
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| 3.
And again, with film, you became involved in a more direct "community"
way. By 1997, you were serving on the board of the Cinemaker
Coop. Is it the same drive that caused you to be so involved
in the local music scene that drove you to be involved so directly
in the local filmmaker's scene? |
| I didn’t
know of any other way to get into film. UT had rejected me from
their film school about five times in a row and I was looking
for a way to immerse myself in filmmaking. The Cinemaker Co-op
was just getting started and the idea of shooting and showing
films sounded pretty freakin’ good. I did what I could to help
the Co-op get going so I, as well as others, could enjoy its
benefits. And it has treated me well. The Cinemaker gave me
an audience for many of my first shorts and encouraged me to
push forward. |
| 4.
Indeed, you made several short films. Tell me about making them. |
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"Night
of the Kung Fu Zombie Bastards from Hell!" is one of my favorite
short films. It was a total experiment. We painted everyone
red and just had a grand ol time. The scariest part was when
I was actually digging up a hundred-year-old grave and I thought
a real zombie was going to get me. After a Cinemaker screening
of the film, a fella was heard complaining that it hurt their
eyes to watch. How can you beat that?
"MoFo"
was the first short that I wrote the script on paper and drew
storyboards and actually did some real editing and sound mixing
(a step above two VHS decks and a pause button), so that was
fun.
"Sweet
Sweetroll’s BaaadAsssss Spin" was my first Super 8 film and
was just a blast to shoot.
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| 5.
"Rock Opera" is your first feature. How difficult was it to
move from the "short" film to the feature? |
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A feature
is many, many times more difficult… don’t get me started.
It’s ten times everything: longer, harder, little, yellow,
different, better…
The
real chore on "Rock
Opera" was trying to keep everyone from getting too high.
And then trying to drag them away from all the groupie chicks
was near impossible. Damn rock stars and their egos.
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| 6.
It's easy to see that many of these guys in the film are longtime
friends. |
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I've
been collaborating with a lot of these folks for years. "Rock
Opera" is almost all pals: Jerry Clark (Toe) played guitar
in just about every band I was ever in (anywhere from zero
to seven depending on what you consider a "band") and he was
the star of damn near every short film I've ever made. I first
met him at a biker rally and monster truck fest out at the
Expo-center many years ago. And then later, when me and my
friend Kelly were building a kick ass spine ramp with a pool
coping extension in his back yard. Jerry drove up and offered
to help. Kelly and I worked that poor bastard like a three-legged
mule. Sure he complained, and a lot too. The boy just about
never shut up. And his work was pretty half ass come to think
of it…
Anyway,
we finished building the ramp and realized through the process
that Jerry was a swell fellow. And being fresh from Spain,
knew all sorts of goofball Euro-tricks like the ankle-bender
and the fuzzy elephant to pink Chee-to. He's kinda funny too.
Ted
Jarrell (who played Ned) and I wrote a shit load of short
stories together and he was my writing partner for many years
on all kinds of projects. Tony Linder is a fantastic artist
as well as a friend and former roommate that took the reins
on the art department for "Rock Opera." Kurtis D. Machler
(Burtis) is a long time friend and collaborator who has composed
the scores for most of my films. Chad Holt (Tad) was my next
door neighbor and weed dealer (pusher) back in the day and
he was the front man for the notoriously infamous band DKB.
And the list goes on…
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| 7.
There must have been an awful lot of good times making "Rock
Opera!" |
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The day
PigPoke played was a lot of fun, until Ted accidentally punched
Jerry in the eye during a rehearsal. (Then there was) the
day when I (as Bo) got to suck down several whip-its in front
of the camera. Or the day Chad shows up with 3 pounds of weed,
insisting “Like hell if I’m gunna use fake ass weed.” But
we’re really not supposed to talk about that one. We’re probably
not supposed to talk about most of that stuff.
I like
watching the drug scenes while high. I’m proud of the whole
damn thing.
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| 8.
I wonder if everyone "gets" the film. Personally, I consider
the film to be a primer for the Austin Music Scene. I had just
moved to Austin when I saw it the first time and it opened me
up to bands like the Fuckemos and Voltage. I think that the
"Welcome Wagon" should hand out copies and all UT Freshman should
be given a copy at Registration. |
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That’d
be funny since they never let me in their film school.
The
film isn’t for everyone and I’d be a fool to think it even
could be, but hopefully, the right people will discover it
and pass the word along. If it doesn’t piss someone off, then
there’s got to be something wrong with it.
At the
San Francisco Indie Fest they totally got it. In fact, people
were smoking weed during the first screening. The same thing
happened at the screening for the New York Underground Film
Fest. Those Yankees loved it. The No Dance Film Festival in
Park City was great. The right people showed up and we got
a lot of laughs.
It’s
just a harmless little drug related, violent and foul-mouthed
comedy. What’s wrong with that? I mean, the film’s fuckin
funny. If there’s a person out there who thinks that the relentless
abuse of tons and tons of drugs, and some cussing isn’t fuckin
funny, well then, okay then.
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| 9.
Your parents came to the premier of the film. What do they think
of it? |
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They
think it’s funny. "Rock Opera" is really just a story about
a period of chaos in someone’s life. Sure it’s a lot more
nasty and dirty than most people’s lives, but it’s something
that we can all relate to. Just change punk rocker to hippie
and there you go: acid flashback for the baby boomers.
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| 10.
How is the process of getting the film on film coming? Do you
have a 35mm print? |
| We’re
still on video (feel free to send us cash). We projected from
DVD at the San Francisco IndieFest and at No Dance thanks to
Todd Kushnir and all the fine folks who made our DVD over at
California DVD (http://www.caldvd.com
plug, plug). |
| 11.
Any distribution deals in the works? |
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It’s
in the works, babe. My people’s people are having lunch with
their people’s people as we speak.
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| 12.
I know there is a "Rock Opera" Soundtrack CD, is there any other
merchandising related to the film? |
| That’s
right. And it's a bad mother fuckin ass soundtrack. The best
damn soundtrack-punk rock ‘n’ roll compilation to ever come
out of this town if you ask me. We also are hawking some t-shirts,
stickers, posters & what not. All these fine products and more
are available on the "Rock Opera" web site: http://lonestar.texas.net/~crashcam
(click the shiny “merchandise” button). |
| 13.
What's next for you? Any plans for a "Rock Opera II?" |
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I wouldn't
be opposed to doing a prequel and/or a sequel. Prequels are
big money I hear.
I’m
planning on shooting a short about murderous cousins, and
I have a handful of music videos on the horizon. I also have
three feature scripts in the works but… wait a minute. You’re
trying to steal all my ideas so you can so you can sell them
to Hollywood. You filthy bastard. I’m on to your sick shenanigans.
You’re not going to sucker me that easily. No more questions!
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And thus
ended my short chance to pick Bob Ray's brain... At least
I got him to sit still long enough for 13 Questions... Now
if I could only get Jerry to take my calls...
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